Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 family provides scalable Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) acoustic positioning, tracking and communication for divers, remotely operated vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, towfish, subsea instruments and other underwater assets.
All three systems share Sonardyne’s established acoustic technology platform. This provides a practical upgrade path for organisations whose requirements may grow from straightforward coastal tracking to survey-grade positioning, marine robotics, subsea telemetry and complex offshore operations.
Imbros supplies and supports Sonardyne underwater positioning systems throughout Australia. We can assist with system selection, transceiver configuration, compatible transponders, vessel integration and project-specific requirements.
Ranger 2 USBL Family at a Glance
| System | Position in Range | Maximum Tracking Range | Targets | Published System Performance | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro-Ranger 2 | Portable, entry-level USBL | 995 m | Up to 10 targets tracked sequentially | Up to 5% of slant range system accuracy | Divers, small ROVs, UUVs, inland waterways, coastal science and portable operations |
| Mini-Ranger 2 | Survey-grade nearshore and mid-depth USBL | 995 m standard; extendable to 4,000 m | Up to 10 targets tracked simultaneously | 0.2% positioning repeatability with an external MRU; 1.3% with the internal MRU | Hydrographic survey, UXO survey, search and recovery, structure inspection, renewables and marine robotics |
| Ranger 2 | High-performance offshore and deepwater USBL | Up to 11,000 m with an LMF configuration | Up to 99 targets tracked simultaneously | Up to 0.04% of slant range system accuracy when fully optimised | Deepwater survey, offshore construction, dynamic positioning, cable lay, research, salvage and naval operations |
Published performance depends on system configuration, installation, environmental conditions, acoustic geometry and supporting vessel sensors. The extended-range Mini-Ranger 2 configuration and Ranger 2 are subject to applicable export-control requirements.
What Is USBL Positioning?
Ultra-Short BaseLine positioning is an acoustic method for determining the position of a transponder or responder beneath the water. A vessel-mounted or surface-deployed transceiver sends an acoustic signal to the underwater instrument and receives its reply.
The transceiver measures the direction and travel time of the acoustic signal. When this information is combined with vessel position, attitude, heading and sound-speed data, the system calculates the underwater target’s position relative to the vessel and, where configured, in geographical coordinates.
Unlike a conventional Long BaseLine installation, USBL generally does not require an array of transponders to be deployed across the seafloor before tracking can begin. This makes USBL particularly useful for mobile survey work, temporary vessel installations, ROV and AUV operations, diver tracking, equipment deployment and recovery, and projects conducted from vessels of opportunity.
Read Sonardyne’s detailed guide to USBL positioning
Why Choose the Ranger 2 Family?
- Scalable capability: choose a portable coastal system, a survey-grade nearshore solution or a high-performance deepwater USBL platform.
- Common technology platform: Ranger 2 family systems share Sonardyne software concepts, 6G acoustic hardware and Wideband 2 digital signal technology.
- Broad target support: track suitably equipped divers, ROVs, AUVs, towfish, subsea structures, moorings and scientific instruments.
- Marine robotics capability: optional software packs can add acoustic communications, vehicle interaction and expanded robotics functionality to supported configurations.
- Flexible deployment: configurations are available for small boats, temporary survey installations, research vessels, larger offshore vessels and uncrewed surface vehicles.
- System expansion: optional feature packs and compatible Sonardyne transponders allow the system to be adapted as project requirements develop.
- Subsea communication: supported systems can use Sonardyne Messaging Service for acoustic data exchange as well as position tracking.
Choosing the Right Ranger 2 System
Choose Micro-Ranger 2 when portability, ease of use and rapid mobilisation are the primary requirements. It is suited to shallow coastal waters, rivers, lakes, pontoons, small boats and portable tracking operations involving divers, compact ROVs and small autonomous platforms.
Choose Mini-Ranger 2 when your project requires improved positioning performance, simultaneous target tracking or greater operational range without moving to a full deepwater USBL installation. It is particularly well suited to small survey vessels, nearshore survey, offshore renewable energy, UXO work, structural inspection and uncrewed operations.
Choose Ranger 2 when the application involves deep water, complex offshore operations, dynamic-positioning reference, acoustically aided inertial navigation, high target counts or the highest available positioning performance within the family.
Final system selection should also consider the deployment vessel, expected slant range, target depth and elevation, vessel noise, required update rate, vessel motion sensors, transponder type, telemetry requirements and whether the system will support survey, dynamic positioning or autonomous vehicle operations.
Applications
| Application | Micro-Ranger 2 | Mini-Ranger 2 | Ranger 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diver tracking | Suitable | Suitable | Project dependent |
| Small ROV and UUV tracking | Suitable | Suitable | Suitable |
| Hydrographic and coastal survey | Light operations | Recommended | Suitable |
| Aquaculture inspection | Suitable | Suitable | Project dependent |
| UXO and site-characterisation survey | Limited applications | Recommended | Suitable |
| USV and remote operations | Configurable | Recommended | Configurable |
| Deepwater ROV and AUV positioning | — | To 4,000 m configuration | Recommended |
| Dynamic-positioning reference | — | — | Supported |
| Cable lay, offshore construction and salvage | — | Selected operations | Recommended |
This table is a general selection guide only. Suitability depends on the vessel, target, water depth, acoustic environment and required positioning performance.
Explore the Ranger 2 USBL Systems
Micro-Ranger 2 is Sonardyne’s most compact USBL positioning system and provides an accessible entry point to professional underwater acoustic tracking.
The system is designed for portable operations from waterside locations, pontoons, RHIBs, small survey vessels and suitably configured uncrewed surface vessels. It can be used to track divers, small ROVs, UUVs and other targets fitted with a compatible Sonardyne transponder.
Micro-Ranger 2 is supplied as a compact one-box solution housed in a ruggedised carry case. Apart from the laptop used to run the software, the standard kit contains the principal equipment required to begin tracking, helping reduce mobilisation time and installation complexity.
A built-in battery provides more than 10 hours of continuous operation. External power can also be supplied from a vessel or shore-based source.
Mini-Ranger 2 is the mid-level system in the Ranger 2 family, combining survey-grade positioning with portable deployment, simultaneous target tracking and optional marine robotics capability.
It is designed for nearshore and mid-depth operations where Micro-Ranger 2 does not provide sufficient positioning performance or capability, but a full deepwater Ranger 2 installation is unnecessary.
Mini-Ranger 2 can track and communicate with supported underwater targets over a standard operating range of up to 995 m. An optional extension increases the maximum tracking range to 4,000 m, subject to export-control requirements.
The system is suited to temporary installation on small survey vessels, moored barges and USVs. Its applications include hydrographic work, UXO survey, search and recovery, environmental survey, offshore renewable-energy site characterisation, structural inspection and marine robotics.
Ranger 2 is Sonardyne’s highest-performance USBL system for deepwater positioning, complex subsea operations, dynamic-positioning reference, acoustic telemetry and marine robotics.
It can track a wide variety of subsea targets, including ROVs, AUVs, towfish, underwater structures and seafloor instruments. Ranger 2 can also communicate with compatible underwater vehicles and sensors, support the release of seabed equipment and provide a stable acoustic position reference to a vessel’s dynamic-positioning system.
Ranger 2 supports up to 99 simultaneously tracked targets and can provide tracking ranges of up to 11,000 m when configured for low-medium-frequency operation.
The system is intended for larger survey, research, support, cable-lay, construction and naval vessels, although temporary and USV-compatible configurations are also available.
Common Ranger 2 Technologies
Sonardyne 6G
Sonardyne’s sixth-generation acoustic hardware platform provides the foundation for tracking, positioning and subsea communication across the Ranger 2 family. Its common technology architecture allows Ranger 2 systems to work with a broad portfolio of compatible 6G transponders, vehicle instruments and acoustic releases.
Wideband 2
Wideband 2 is Sonardyne’s digital acoustic signal architecture. It is designed to support reliable ranging, positioning and data communication in shallow and deepwater environments while reducing interference between compatible acoustic users.
Sonardyne Messaging Service
Sonardyne Messaging Service allows compatible surface and subsea instruments to exchange data acoustically. Depending on the Ranger system, transceiver and subsea instrument, this can support operations such as sensor-data harvesting, vehicle messaging, position sharing, equipment control and marine robotics.
Marine Robotics Software
Optional Marine Robotics feature packs add functions intended for supported ROV, AUV and USV operations. Available capabilities vary between Micro-Ranger 2, Mini-Ranger 2 and Ranger 2 and must be selected according to the required number of vehicles, communication functions and level of command and control.
System Configuration Considerations
A complete USBL system is selected as an integrated solution rather than as a single standalone instrument. Important configuration factors include:
- – Maximum operating depth and expected slant range
- – Required positioning accuracy and repeatability
- – Number and type of targets to be tracked
- – Target elevation and operating geometry
- – Vessel size, hull design and available mounting locations
- – Temporary, permanent or USV installation
- – Vessel noise, propeller and thruster interference
- – Motion-reference, heading and GNSS inputs
- – Sound-speed measurement and profile requirements
- – Transponder depth rating, acoustic source level and battery endurance
- – Telemetry, release or vehicle-control requirements
- – Interfaces to survey, navigation or dynamic-positioning systems
- – Export-control requirements
Imbros can work with your project team and Sonardyne to define the appropriate Ranger 2 system, transceiver, transponders, software packs, deployment arrangement and supporting sensors.
Case Studies and Technical Resources
Sonardyne maintains an extensive collection of product information, knowledge-base articles, case studies, videos, manuals and technical resources. The following materials provide useful background for organisations assessing a Ranger 2 system.
- Ranger 2 USBL family overview
- What is a USBL and how does it work?
- Ranger USBL: principles and real-world applications
- Understanding telemetry tracking
- Micro-Ranger 2 for aquaculture ROV inspection
- Mini-Ranger 2 for remote USV and eROV operations
- Ranger 2 for ocean-bottom seismometer deployment and recovery
- Browse all Sonardyne case studies
